Real-Life Decision Making
You are a polysomnography technician working in a sleep center. Your job
is to run diagnostic sleep tests on patients who come in for testing.
The patients come in during the evening and spend the night. You monitor
their sleep cycle. In the morning, you analyze the data that you have collected
and report the results to your supervisor. Your reports indicate whether the
patient has a sleep disorder.
There is a rule that says you must never run a test on someone who is a
blood relative. There is good reason for this rule. There have been occasions
in the past when medical workers have falsified data to help a family member
collect insurance.
For example, a polysomnography technician's brother might say, "I'll tell
my doctor that I have all the symptoms of a sleep disorder. She'll send me
to your clinic for testing. You fudge the results and say that I have a sleep
disorder, even though I don't. Then I'll file a claim for insurance."
Falsifying records to file a fraudulent insurance claim is illegal and
unethical. Anyone doing it will be in big trouble when they are caught.
They could face legal charges, and will probably lose their job as well.
You would never do that, no matter who asked you.
One day your sister Debbie tells you that she is having trouble sleeping,
and that her doctor has recommended that she have testing at a sleep clinic.
She says she is thinking about getting the test, but she hasn't made up her
mind yet. You encourage her, and tell her that the tests are a good thing
to do.
Then one night when you show up for work, you discover your sister is there
to be tested. You didn't know she had made the appointment. She lives in
a small community 200 miles away, and this is the closest sleep center to
her home.
You are the only polysomnography technician on duty that night. You explain
to your sister that you cannot run the test on her. You tell her she will
have to rebook.
"Please do the test," Debbie begs. "I drove all this way for testing, and
I don't want to go home and come back again."
You explain the rule to her again, and tell her the insurance example.
"But I'm not filing an insurance claim, she says. "I just want to know if
I have a sleep disorder. What will it matter if you do it or someone else
does it?"
You think about it. You know that it was difficult for Debbie to get away.
She had to take time off from work and arrange for a babysitter to come in
and stay with her children. If the test isn't done, she will have to go back
and do this all over again. It will be expensive and inconvenient for her.
You know that Debbie is not trying to defraud anybody. You know that you
will provide accurate results after the test. Still, it is against the rules
and your supervisor might not be happy.
What do you do?